Time and time again, I've heard phrases utter from the mouths of Africans that vilify the person that they are referring to. These things were said in such a casual but vicious manner that you would think they were talking about white folks. And that's exactly what I thought until a friend--a native African--revealed to me that these were insults directed at blacks.

Typically, when Ghanaians want to insult us, they refer to us as "Akata people." Akata translates as "wild dog."

When Nigerians want to insult us, they refer to us as "Eranko." Eranko, if my memory serves me correctly, translates as "animal."

The third and most obvious phrase is "You African Americans." This isn't used casually. It is used as a way to make a distinction between "us and them."

We must come an understanding of why we are being vilified by our African brothers and sisters. And that understanding starts with knowing when we are being insulted and correcting the misunderstanding.

Time and time again, I've heard phrases utter from the mouths of Africans that vilify the person that they are referring to. These things were said in such a casual but vicious manner that you would think they were talking about white folks. And that's exactly what I thought until a friend--a native African--revealed to me that these were insults directed at blacks.

Typically, when Ghanaians want to insult us, they refer to us as "Akata people." Akata translates as "wild dog."

When Nigerians want to insult us, they refer to us as "Eranko." Eranko, if my memory serves me correctly, translates as "animal."

The third and most obvious phrase is "You African Americans." This isn't used casually. It is used as a way to make a distinction between "us and them."

We must come an understanding of why we are being vilified by our African brothers and sisters. And that understanding starts with knowing when we are being insulted and correcting the misunderstanding.

Why do they insult us in such a manner? Aren't we all one people?

Click to expand...

The "diaspora" is my blood brother/sister. I love them all and i will treat my brothers just like the way i will treat myself.
This is painful because I am a Ghanaian and have been classified as THEY.

And that's exactly what I thought until a friend--a native African--revealed to me that these were insults directed at blacks.

Click to expand...

What is a ''native African''? what country was he/she from?

Typically, when Ghanaians want to insult us, they refer to us as "Akata people." Akata translates as "wild dog."

Click to expand...

Incorrect, AKATA is a Yoruba phrase: a ka ta a, person that picks cotton, it's a derogatory term used by some Nigerians to refer to Black Americans..you know? like some black amerinca use the term ''African Butty scratcher''to refer to Africans, same minds... very ignorant

When Nigerians want to insult us, they refer to us as "Eranko." Eranko, if my memory serves me correctly, translates as "animal."

Click to expand...

This is incorrect ''Eranoko'' translate to 'animal in the bush'..its a classicist insult, members of my own family have actually used that term to insult me. It is a general insult that can be directed at anyone....

The third and most obvious phrase is "You African Americans." This isn't used casually. It is used as a way to make a distinction between "us and them."

Click to expand...

Ok, but i think we can agree that there is a cultural difference between Black Americans and Africans?

We must come an understanding of why we are being vilified by our African brothers and sisters. And that understanding starts with knowing when we are being insulted and correcting the misunderstanding.

as bro ibrahim said, time and time again it's "us" and "them". for a hot minute, that header that shows at the top of the browser window included the word "Africans". time and time again, folks that define themselves as "Africans" get short shrift in here and wind up leaving.

it's really sad.

i see it as being a product of that media giant pushing the same agenda that made it ok to bring kidnapped Africans to this land and told us that our name is now "Toby". that media has so brainwashed the descendants of those Africans that today, the Africans descended of formerly enslaved Africans can bring a question like this and expect it to fly without being questioned.

truly sad ...

in the Spirit of Sankofa; for my Brothers and Sisters of this little "American" corner of the Diaspora, to my Brothers and Sisters across the entirety of the Nations of Africa, i can only say that I am deeply sorry for, embarrassed and dishonored by, this, and too many other, examples of the depth of our brainwashing/continued enslavement and the insults given by American born and bred Africans.

Immigrants to America see all of the opportunities America has for them, when compared to the lack of them in their native countries. Upon seeing all of them, they look at African Americans who aren't taking these opportunities and wonder to themselves "why aren't they going after them?" They come to the conclusion that we're all simply lazy. The truth of the matter is that they (like a large number of "privileged whites") fail to see the big picture. Because they don't know the history of black Americans in America, they don't see the systematic shackles we bear. They fail at seeing the simple concept of "cause and effect". They see the end result, but not what caused our situation.

The large number of immigrants, when they come to America get job placement, subsidized housing, and (most importantly) forgivable bank loans. Which lets them start businesses and do other things. That last thing is something black Americans don't get. So while they get a fresh slate, black Americans are still scrubbing the same 400+ year old crap off of theirs, and have to work twice as hard to be successful. Which can be done, btw. It just takes a bit of work.

But don't let Native African's insults get to you. Although we SHOULD be united, when taking in consideration what we've been through, remember this. White people hate each other FAR worse than we hate ourselves.

Look at how they've fearfully persecuted and burned red-heads in the past.

Look at how they hate each other for worshiping the same god, but slightly differently.

Look at how they've killed white Pagans for not worshipping God.

Look at how the Nazi's killed the Ashkenazi Jews. The white ones that are falsely portrayed as "real" Jews by other whites. (But that's another discussion for another time...)

Look at how the people from Finland feel about the crap they've gone through with Sweden or Denmark.

These are but a handful of examples of how whites, by and large, don't get along either. So just focus on working with a few individual Africans to make them think otherwise. As all their preconceptions are premature, newly formed, and easily changed; because they only see us and our people on the surface.

We must come an understanding of why we are being vilified by our African brothers and sisters. And that understanding starts with knowing when we are being insulted and correcting the misunderstanding.

Click to expand...

that understanding starts with understanding and knowing why they would have such a misunderstanding. the way it is phrased here suggests that any reasons that underlie any such misunderstanding are all because "they" are willfully just dissing "us"; might there not be some validity to some of the "villification"?

Africans know how we got here; we came from there....remember? They don't share all of the first hand knowledge, but they, too, have very similar experiences with oppression at the hands of the enemies. Imho, we don't really need to focus on how whites perceive of each other; we need to focus on healing the rifts that have separated us across time and the waters. No where on this globe at the moment will you go and see the majority of Black people relating to each other as we SHOULD be, and it's very easy to get lost in seeing the negative such that we start rejecting EVERYONE among us based on the stupidity and evil of some. My solution is to maintain focus on those who are about the business so the enemies do not win THE WAR.

Immigrants to America see all of the opportunities America has for them, when compared to the lack of them in their native countries. Upon seeing all of them, they look at African Americans who aren't taking these opportunities and wonder to themselves "why aren't they going after them?" They come to the conclusion that we're all simply lazy. The truth of the matter is that they (like a large number of "privileged whites") fail to see the big picture. Because they don't know the history of black Americans in America, they don't see the systematic shackles we bear. They fail at seeing the simple concept of "cause and effect". They see the end result, but not what caused our situation.

The large number of immigrants, when they come to America get job placement, subsidized housing, and (most importantly) forgivable bank loans. Which lets them start businesses and do other things. That last thing is something black Americans don't get. So while they get a fresh slate, black Americans are still scrubbing the same 400+ year old crap off of theirs, and have to work twice as hard to be successful. Which can be done, btw. It just takes a bit of work.

But don't let Native African's insults get to you. Although we SHOULD be united, when taking in consideration what we've been through, remember this. White people hate each other FAR worse than we hate ourselves.

Look at how they've fearfully persecuted and burned red-heads in the past.

Look at how they hate each other for worshiping the same god, but slightly differently.

Look at how they've killed white Pagans for not worshipping God.

Look at how the Nazi's killed the Ashkenazi Jews. The white ones that are falsely portrayed as "real" Jews by other whites. (But that's another discussion for another time...)

Look at how the people from Finland feel about the crap they've gone through with Sweden or Denmark.

These are but a handful of examples of how whites, by and large, don't get along either. So just focus on working with a few individual Africans to make them think otherwise. As all their preconceptions are premature, newly formed, and easily changed; because they only see us and our people on the surface.

Africans know how we got here; we came from there....remember? They don't share all of the first hand knowledge, but they, too, have very similar experiences with oppression at the hands of the enemies. Imho, we don't really need to focus on how whites perceive of each other; we need to focus on healing the rifts that have separated us across time and the waters. No where on this globe at the moment will you go and see the majority of Black people relating to each other as we SHOULD be, and it's very easy to get lost in seeing the negative such that we start rejecting EVERYONE among us based on the stupidity and evil of some. My solution is to maintain focus on those who are about the business so the enemies do not win THE WAR.

Click to expand...

I wasn't referring to how we got here in America. I was referring to everything from that point and beyond. The tolls of slavery, The Civil Rights Movement, white persecution, unfair restrictions, unfair laws, and other forms of systematic white oppression. My statement of about whites all across the globe was merely to make a point and to provide examples. As it seems that some black folks think we're the main people on this earth who don't get along.

You also repeated what I said at the end without actually agreeing with me. As if I didn't say it. I hope that wasn't intentional...